Egg holder



J. A. FORTES Feb. 11, 1936.

EGG HOLDER Filed June 15, 1955 INVENTOR;

JAMES A. FORTES I? TT'ORNEY Patented Feb. 11, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EGG HOLDER.

James A. Fortes, St. Louis, Mo.

Application June 13, 1935, Serial No. 26,500

6 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in egg holders of the general type described in a companion application, Serial No. 32,334 filed July 20, 1935.

The egg holding device of said pending application is designed particularly for boiling a small number of eggs, the drawing illustrating a holder accommodating four eggs. As stated in the specification of said application, however, where a larger number of eggs are to be boiled at one time, say, six or eight, or more, modifications in the structure illustrated are desirable in the interest of increasing the strength and durability of the device.

The structure of the device of the present application is typical of devices for accommodating more than four eggs, the present device being adapted for holding six eggs.

In order that the purpose of the invention may be better understood, it may be explained that as the baskets for holding the eggs are of the same size in all cases, it will be clear that with the use of only four baskets, the same may be brought nearer to a central supporting member n while being maintained out of lateral contact with each other, and hence exert less leverage on the supporting means than where a greater number of baskets are employed. In other words, as the number of egg holding baskets is increased, the circular area inclosing the same will be increased and the diameter of the central supporting member must likewise be increased, as otherwise the arm extending from each basket to the central support would have to be relatively of great length, which would not only result in the weight of the eggs in the baskets exerting an excessive amount of leverage on the support, but, as will hereafter appear, as these arms would ordinarily be of wire, there would be great liability of the same being bent, the baskets would be subject to excessive vibrations, and the general stability and firmness of the device would be seriously impaired. I

To enable a greater number of baskets than four to be employed, therefore, I substitute for the tubular member of my pending application an enlarged circular supporting member, formed of two disk-like elements between which the arms of the baskets are secured, preferably by rivets passing through said disk-like members and through eyelets formed on the inner ends of the arms of the baskets.

As in this larger type of egg holder a supporting base having a broader, or more extended bearing surface is required than with a smaller device, I also secure on the bottom of the central supporting member a base, which is secured to the bottom of the central supporting member by the rivets which secure the arms of the baskets between the disk-like members.

The present structure is designed to afford great strength and rigidity of structure, and to present a device of a pleasing or ornamental appearance, while at the same time being of a size to accommodate a relatively large number of eggs.

My invention and the manner of constructing the same is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the device, the central handle member being shown in section;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in elevation showing the parts of the device disassembled, but placed in the order in which they are to be assembled, certain of the parts being broken away to conserve space;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view, illustrating the stand or support for the device, and the manner of securing the same to the central supporting member;

Figure 5 is a. bottom plan view of the upper disk member or clamping plate;

Figure 6 is a disassembled view partly in section and partly in elevation showing a modified form of stand or support prior to its connection with the central supporting member; and

Figure 7 is a sectional plan view on the line 1-! of Figure 6.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral l indicates a central circular supporting member which comprises two superposed parts, the upper part, 2, (Fig. 3) being in the form of a disk having certain recesses formed therein, as hereinafter explained, and the lower member, 3, being in the form of a disk having an annular flange, 4, providing an inverted cup shaped member. The central supporting member I is adapted to have secured therein a series of boiled wire baskets, 5,- aifording individual egg holders. Each of the baskets 5 is formed by spirally coiling a length of wire in such manner that the coils will be superposed and parallel, as indicated by Figure 2, theresulting structure being substantially conoidal in shape. The wire 6 of the uppermost coil of each basket is caused to extend horizontally so that it will engage the upper inner side of the coil, 1, immediately beneath it, at which point the wire 6 and. coil 1 are welded together, as

indicated at 8. The wire 6 is further more extended radially outward from the basket to form an arm, 9, which is provided on its outer end with an eye, I 0, Figures 2 and 3. In order to secure the baskets 5 firmly in position in the central supporting member I, the upper disk 2 is provided, by means of a suitable die, with a series of circular recesses, ll, having communicating radial recesses, I2, extending therefrom to the periphery of the disk, as shown by Figure. 5. Each recess H, with its radial recess I2, is of a shape and size to snugly receive the eye Ill and arm 9 of one of the baskets 5. For supporting, lifting, and transporting, or suspending the device, I provide the following arrangement.

The numeral 13 indicates a rod formed at its upper end with a circular handle, M. The rod i3 is adapted to be passed through central apertures in the disk 2 and cup shaped member 3 and to have secured on its lower end a stand or supporting base, Hi. This base, in the preferred form of the invention, comprises two pieces of wire having bottom members, l6, located on opposite sides of the rod 13, and soldered or welded together at opposite sides of said rod, as indicated at [1. The wire members 16 are bent to extend at angles to each other, as shown in Figure 4, and are then bent upward at right angles to provide vertical supporting members l8, each of which at its upper end is again bent outward at right angles and formed into an eye. is. The wire members l6 which constitute the bottom or supporting surface of the base l5 are inclined upwardly toward the center, as indicated in Figures 2 and 3, so that the device will rest and be supported on the corners or shoulders of the wire members [6, and not at the center. This is to prevent any rocking movement of the device on its base. The bottom of base l5 pro-- jects below the plane of the bottoms of the baskets 5, to maintain said bottoms out of contact with a supporting surface.

In assembling the parts of the device, the eye It? and arms 9 of the several baskets are seated in the respective recesses II and I2 and placed in position on the. upper side of the under clamping plate, or cup shaped member 3. Each of the circular recesses I I, is provided with a central aperture, 20, as shown in Figure 5, and the lower clamping plate 3 is provided with corresponding apertures, 2|. Eyelets or rivets, 22, are then passed through the apertures 20, the eyes III, the apertures 2|, and the eyes IS on the base I5 and the lower ends of the rivets then upturned, as indicated at 23, in Figure 2, whereby the arms 9 and eyelets IU of each basket will be firmly and rigidly clamped between the two clamping plates 2 and 3, and the eyes l9 at the upper ends of the vertical members 18 of the base will be firmly secured by the rivets against the underside of the clamping plate 3. It will be understood, of course, that prior to securing the base IS on the lower end of rod, or handle member 13, the same will have been passed through a central aperture, 24, in the upper clamping plate or disk 2, and a. corresponding aperture in the lower clamp ing plate 3, as shown by Figure 2. It is obvious, of course, that the base I5 could be first secured on the lower end of the rod 13 and the latter passed through the two clamping plates and then be provided with the handle I4.

In Figures 6 and 7 I have illustrated a. modified construction of supporting base in which fiat strips of metal, 25, are employed instead of wires, said metal strips being bent to the same shape as the base I5 and their outwardly bent upper ends being provided with apertures, 26, to receive the rivets 22. The bottom horizontal members, 21, corresponding with the wire members l6 of the preferred form, are also inclined upwardly to prevent the base from centering, and where the bottom strips 2! cross each other, the upper strip is stamped with a recess, 28, to accommodate the lower crossing strip, as indicated in Figure '7. By this arrangement, the supporting shoulders at the bottom of the base are caused to lie in the same plate, and the interlock between the two strips likewise contributes to the rigidity of the base.

It will be apparent that when the parts of the device are assembled, the flange 4 on the clamping plate 3 will conceal the eyelets l9 and upturned ends 23 of the rivets and thereby contribute to the pleasing appearance of the device as a whole. The upper side of the device, due to the symmetrical arrangement of the stamped recesses II and I2 and the appearance of the smooth ends of the rivets, also adds a pleasing if not ornamental character to the device.

As in the device of my companion application,

the baskets 5 are separated from each other a'.

sufficient distance to prevent the eggs supported therein from coming in contact with each other, which often results in the cracking or breaking of one or more of the eggs.

Also it is to be understood that while the present device is particularly intended for use in boiling eggs, it could be equally well used for boiling potatoes, onions, and the like.

I claim:

1. A culinary utensil for use in boiling eggs comprising a central supporting member formed of a pair of clamping plates, one of which is provided with a series of stamped circular recesses, each recess having a communicating radial recess extending to the edge of the clamping plate, a series of egg holders each of which is provided with an outwardly extending arm seated in one of said radial recesses and an eye on the end of said arm seated in a circular recess, said clamping plates being secured together to rigidly hold said arms and eyes in position between them, and a handle member secured on said supporting member and projecting above the same.

2. A culinary utensil for use in boiling eggs comprising a central circular supporting member formed of a pair of. clamping plates, one or which is provided with a series of stamped circular recesses, each recess having a communicating radial recess extending to the edge of the clamping plates, a series of egg holders each of which is provided with an outwardly extending arm seated in one of said radial recesses and an eye on the end of said arm seated in a circular recess, said clamping plates being secured together to rigidly hold said arms and eyes in position between them, a base secured on the underside of said supporting member and extending below the plane of the bottoms of said egg holders, and a handle member for said device projecting upward from said supporting member.

3. A culinary utensil for use in boiling eggs comprising a series of coiled wire baskets, each of which is provided at its upper end with a radial arm having at its outer end an eye, a clamping plate having recesses stamped therein corresponding in number to the number of said baskets and shaped to receive said eyes and arms,

a. companion clamping plate having a fiat surface extending over all of said eyes and arms, said clamping plates being firmly secured together by rivets passing through apertures in said clamping plates and through the eyes on said arms interposed between them.

4. A culinary utensil for use in boiling eggs comprising a central circular supporting member formed of a pair of clamping plates, one of which is provided with a series of stamped circular recesses, each recess having a communicating radial recess extending to the edge of the clamping plate, a series of egg holders each of which is provided with an outwardly extending arm seated in one of said radial recesses and an eye on the end of said arm seated in a circular recess, said clamping plates being secured together to rigidly hold said arms and eyes in position between them, a base secured on the underside of said supporting member and extending below the plane of the bottoms of said egg holders, and a handle member comprising a rod secured to said base and projecting upwardly through the center of said supporting member.

5. A culinary utensil for use in boiling eggs comprising a series of coiled wire baskets, each of which is provided at its upper end with a projecting radial arm having at its outer end an eye, a clamping plate having recesses stamped therein corresponding in number to the number of said baskets and shaped to receive said eyes and arms, a companion clamping plate extending over all of said eyes and arms, a rod extending centrally through said clamping plates, a base comprising a length of metal bent to afford a substantially horizontal bottom and vertical supporting members having apertured ends applied to the bottom of said companion clamping plate, said clamping plates being firmly secured together and the base to said clamping plates by rivets passing through apertures in said clamping plates through the eyes on said arms interposed between them and through the apertured upper ends of the vertical member of said base.

6. A culinary utensil for use in boiling eggs comprising a series of coiled wire baskets,v each of which is provided at its upper end with a projecting radial arm having at its outer end an eye, a circular clamping plate having recesses stamped therein at equidistant points adjacent its periphery corresponding in number to the number of said baskets and shaped to receive said eyes and arms, a companion circular clamping plate extending over all of said eyes and arms and having a flanged periphery, said clamping plates being firmly secured together by rivets passing through apertures in said clamping plates, some of which rivets also pass through the eyes on said arms interposed between the clamping plates, a base secured on the underside of said companion clamping plate by means substantially hidden by the flange thereon, and a handle member for said utensil secured to said base and projecting upward through said clamping plates.

JAMES A. FORTES. 

